Pope Francis gives interview to magazine run by homeless

In the interview, the Pope discussed society's attitude to the homeless and marginalised

The Pope has given an exclusive interview to an Italian magazine run by the homeless.

In the interview, Pope Francis spoke about his decision to house Syrian refugees at the Vatican.

He said that other parishes in Rome have followed suit.

“Here in the Vatican there are two parishes, and both are housing Syrian families. Many parishes in Rome have also opened their doors and others, which don’t have a house for priests, have offered to pay rent for families in need, for a full year” he said.

The Pope also joked about some people’s attitudes towards giving money to people that beg.

“There are many arguments which justify why we should not give these alms: ‘I give money and he just spends it on a glass of wine!’ A glass of wine is his only happiness in life!” Pope Francis said.

The Pope went on to tell a story from his time in Buenos Aires of a mother with five children in order to demonstrate the attitude we should all have to giving to others.

While the father was at lunch, a homeless man knocked on the family’s door asking for food.

The mother told the children not to give away their father’s food but to give the man some of their own in order to show real generosity.

“If we wish to give, we must give what is ours!” the Pope concluded.

The interview was published in Scarp de’ tenis (Sneakers) magazine on Tuesday.

The magazine is run by homeless and isolated individuals in Rome and entered into partnership with the Italian arm of the Vatican’s charity organisation, Caritas, in 2008.